Gun Review: I want to love the Smith & Wesson Shield M&P 2.0 (VIDEO)

By Noah Alkinburgh

Smith & Wesson revolutionized the concealed carry marketplace six years ago when they introduced the Shield. Up until then the only real option for small-frame handguns were double stacks and .380 pocket pistols. The Shield changed all that when the Massachusetts gun maker released the 9mm. With more than one million Shields produced since 2012, it seems obvious people want this sized gun.
With a new design released last year, the M&P Shield 2.0 sports some cosmetic upgrades and slight improvements from the original. The Shield has a small half circle in the top of the slide just behind the ejection port and a similar one at the top of the barrel just behind the chamber. These two half circles mate to allow the user to visually inspect the chamber and see brass when the gun is loaded, but there no tactile way to check the chamber. I don’t particularly care for loaded chamber indicators so I find this method to be perfectly acceptable, but it is something to be aware of.
The take down for field stripping and routine maintenance on the Shield requires no tools, unless you don’t like using the trigger when removing the slide. All Smith & Wesson